Sanchez scores two goals as Arsenal takes down Manchester United

Alexis Sanchez 's superb first-half double helped give Arsenal a 3-0 win over Manchester United in a dominant display that propelled the London club into second place in the Premier League.

October 04, 2015

LONDON (AP) — Alexis Sanchez's superb first-half double helped give Arsenal a 3-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday in a dominant display that propelled the London club into second place in the Premier League.

Arsenal decided the game in the opening 20 minutes after a furious start at the Emirates. Sanchez's sublime backheel-flick at the near post opened the scoring in the sixth minute, and Mesut Ozil doubled the lead a minute later when he coolly curled the ball home after being set up by Theo Walcott.

Sanchez's second was a fierce shot from the edge of the area in the 20th after a quick Arsenal passing move. It was Sanchez's fifth goal in two league matches after his hat trick against Leicester last week.

"That 25-minute period, no one could have dealt with us," said striker Theo Walcott, who set up Ozil's goal and was a constant threat with his pace up front. "That sends a message to the Premier League that we're here to be reckoned with."

The Gunners leapfrogged United into second place with 16 points, two behind leading Manchester City. United is just behind Arsenal on goal difference.

United entered the weekend as the league leader but couldn't cope with Arsenal's quick passing and high tempo as the Gunners looked like a completely different team to the one that lost 3-2 to Olympiakos at home in the Champions League in midweek.

"We were good because we decided to start strong, to press high," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "When we do that we can score goals, we know that."

All three goals came after well-worked passing moves. For the first one, Ozil received a pass near the byline and cut the ball back to Sanchez, who with his back to goal flicked it inside the near post. Less than a minute later, Ozil set Walcott free on a run down the left. Walcott drew the attention of four defenders in the box before passing back to the unmarked Ozil, who curled in with his left foot.

The third came after Aaron Ramsey combined with Walcott to feed Sanchez, who ran across the edge of the area and cut onto his right foot before firing into the far right corner.

"When you start a game like that you can never win a game," United manager Louis van Gaal said. "We lost every duel, every second ball. ... And they can play, they're a fantastic team."

Ramsey missed a chance to net a fourth before Petr Cech had to make his first real save just before halftime. Anthony Martial spun around Per Mertesacker inside the area and fired low, forcing Cech into a first-class save with his left foot.

United manager Louis van Gaal made a double substitution at halftime, bringing on Marouane Fellaini and Antonio Valencia for the ineffective Matteo Darmian, who struggled at right back against Sanchez's pace, and Memphis Depay.

The visitors had several chances to get back into the match in the second half, but Cech made a comfortable save from Ashley Young's shot in the 49th and then stopped a side-footed shot from Wayne Rooney in the 62nd.